Gas mantle and method of makiing the same



3 Sfieets-Sheet l INVENTOHS 23 192 Aug 7 c. E. BLISS ET AL GAS MANTLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE} SAME Filed July 6, 1921 -ifirdlnirifiiifidkflqfikn m i DU. 2 u R w P10 016 U o a Z Z 5 w v f M m HHHE Aug. 23; 1927- E. BLISS ET GAS MANTLE AND METHOD OF MAKING -THE SAME s Sheets-Shet' 2 Filed July 61 1921 III! II -VlZ mVENToRS Aug. 23 1927.

c. g; BLISS- ET AL GAS MANTLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed July 6, 1921 5 Sheets- Sheet 3 win-r085 Patented Aug. 23, 1927.

orran STATE-S a, 1,639382 PATENT OFFICE.

I CARL E. BLISS AND FRANCIS A. WEGENER, OF GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO WELSBACH COMPANY, OF GLOUCESTER, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GAS MANTLE AND METHOD OF MAKIING THE SAME.

Application filed July 6, 1921. Serial No. 482,693.

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section llltlStTEtlk ing one form of apparatus which may be used in carrying out the invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts in another position for another step in the operation;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on a larger scale of certain of the parts;

Figures 4 and 5 are side elevations of portions of the apparatus illustrating other steps in the manufactufe;

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view illust-rating still another step;

Figure 7 is a section on the line VII-VII of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 6 but showingstill another step;

Figure 9 is a section on the line IX-IX of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a vertical section illustrating a still later step; and

Figure 11 is a detail one of the parts; i a

Figures 12, 13 and 14 are side elevations showing difierent forms of the finished mantle Figure 15 is a detail perspective v1ew of one form of holding device;

Figure 16 is a plan view showing another form of gathering device; and

Figures 17 and 18 are diagrammatic views showing the manner in which the mesh of the fabric is contracted in forming theclosed end of the mantle.

Our invention has relation to upright gas perspective view of -mantles, and to a novel method of making the same, and is designed to provide a.

mantle of this character in which the closed,

or substantially closed end portion of the mantle is entirely free from the folds and puckers which result from the usual gathering and shirring operatlons.

In the usual methods of manufacturing mantles of this chaJacter, one end portion of the tubular piece of fabric is folded back upon itself a short distance and is then shirred by inserting a gatherlng string in the thickened end portion of the fabric, the string being drawn to close the mantle and also form a supporting loop therefor. Mantles embodying our invention and produced byour improved method have their upper end portion substantlally smooth, and

are characterized by the fact that the contraction of this'portion of the mantle is effected by a substantially uniform contraction in the mesh of the fabric from which it is initially formed, as distinguished from a construction in which the material is gathered in folds'or Shirred.

- Qur invention also provides a method which entirely does away with the usual shirring and tying operations and which is capable of being carried out in a rapid and practicable manner. The mantles resulting therefrom are also of superior quality since the absence of folds or puckers at the closed end portion results in a more uniform incandescence of this portion of the mantle when in service.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated a preferred manner of carrying out our invention and which will now be described; but we do not desire to be limited thereto or to the particular apparatus which we have herein shown and described, since both the details ofthe method and the apparatus used may be widely varied within the spirit and scope of our invention as clefinecl in the appended claims.

In these drawings the apparatus is illustrated as arranged to form the mantle in an upright or verticalposition, but this showing is illustrative only, as the mantles may be formed as well in horizontal or other positions.

In carrying out our invention the tubular fabric illustrated at 2 in Figures 1 and 2, is fed from a suitable reel or carrier over a floating guide 8 which expands the fabric into tubular form. The fabric may be fed over this guide by any suitable means, such as the rollers 4, which co-operate with antifriction rollers 5 journaled in recesses in the guide and between which" surfaces of the rollers at the fabric is designed to be pinched and gripped. The upper end portion of the floating guide is formed with a circumfer ential groove 6 adapted for cooperation with any suitable cutter 6 for cutting the fabric into successive lengths proper for the formation of mantles. v

The fabric before cutting is drawn over the floatingguide 3 onto a mandrel 7 along which it may be moved by any suitable means such as the grippers'8, which are designed to be reciprocated from the position sition shown in full lines in said figure.

The mandrel 7 has its lower ad portion hollowed at 7 to fit over the rounded upper end portion 3 of the floating guide 3, said mandrel and guide being held in properly centered relation by means of a tubular member 9 which is mounted to slide in the mandrel and to engage a recess 1O in the end portion 3" of the guide.

The mandrel 7 is mounted in a suitable carrier 11 which is adapted to be swung (by any suitable mechanism not shown and forming no part of the present invention) from the position shown in Figure 1 tothe position shown in Figure 2, in which its hollowed lower end is engaged with the conical upper endportion of a former12. When the mandrel 7 is so moved it occupies the same relation. to the former 12 that it occupied to the floating guide 3 in Figure 1. The former 12 has a plunger13adapted to be reciprocated therein so as to project its upper free end above the upper end of the former. In the construction shown, this plunger may be reciprocatcd manually by means. of the projection 14. r 7

Before transferring the mandrel 7 from the position shown in Figure 1 to the poem tion shown in Figure 2, length of the fabric has been drawn over said mandrel and has been severed by the cutter 6. Then the mandrel is moved it carries with it this tubular length of fabric. After the mandrel has been engaged with the former 12, it is slightly elevated,-as shown in Figure 3, leaving the lower end portion of the tubular fabric surrounding the conical portion of the former.

It will be understood that the feeding means thus shown and described for getting the piece of fabric in proper relation to the mandrel 7 and former 12 are illustrative only and that this may be done in various ways.

The next step in the operation is to contract the piece of fabric at a point intermediate its ends and near one end thereof, in order to form the closed or substantially closed upper end portion of the finished mantle. In accordance with our invention this gathering is done by an operation in which a single thickness of the fabric is engaged substantially around its entire outer surface and in a manner to efi ect the contraction by acontraction of the meshes I meshes of the fabric before such contraction It will also be noted that in 1 takes place. this gather the portion 2 of the fabric be low the gather is shaped over the conical upper end portion of the former 12..

The subsequent steps in the operationmay be. considerably varied. In Figure 6 we have shown the next step as consisting of the insertion of a wire 16 through the gathered portion of the fabric, the lower end portion of the tubular member '9 being slotted, as shown at 9 (see Figures 10 and 11) to receive this wire. The plunger- 13 is next raised to cause its point to form the upward bend or loop 17 in thewire 16, as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. After this operation one end of the wire is bent around the neck of the gatherer in one direction, as shown at 18 in Figure 9,'and the other end portion bent in the opposite direction, as. shown at 19 in F igure'9. n In this manner there is formed in place in the mantle a metallic supporting ring which also acts to effectively secure and retain the gather. 7

The next step which may be followed is illustrated in Figure 10. The mandrel is provided with a stripping sleeve 20 which slides thereon inside of the fabric; and by moving this sleeve downwardly to the. posit-ion shown in Figure 10, the mantle is stripped from the mandrel 7 and is turned inside out downwardly over the former 12. This operation causes the portion 2 of the gather to lieinside of the closed end of the mantle, a downwardmovement of-the mandrel 7 at this-time serving to properly shape this closed and reinforced end portion of the mantle. If desired, the surface of the portion 2 of the gather may be coated with some suitable adhesive before the operation shown in Figure 10 is performed, so that upon the completion of such operation said portion will adhere closely to the main portion of the mantle. This, however, is not necessary.

' The stripping sleeve 20 is now the mandrel 7 is moved away from the. former 12 and the completed mantle is,rem0ved from the latter.. It will be found that the closed end portion of the mantle will be per fectly shapedand free from folds or puckers.

Instead of turning the nantle inside out, this step may be omitted and the portion 2 may be turned back against the outer side of the closed end portion of the mantle and 'secured thereto, as an external reinforcement,

l El

retracted,

either by an adhesive, by stitching, or in any other suitable manner.

Instead of forming a holder in the manner above described, a Wire may be inserted through the gather to form a loop which is shown at 17 in Figure 13, the two ends of the wire being then bent as shown at 17 of the said figure.

In Figures 14 and 15 we have shown a pre-formed supporting member 21, which can be inserted into the mantle to the position shown in Figure 14, after the mantle has been removed from the former. When the mantle is burnt and shrunk, this device will be firmly held in place.

There are many other ways in which to form and engage a proper supporting member with the clo ed endof the mantle.

Instead of using a string for the purpose of making a gather some mechanical device may be employed, such as that shown at 22 in Figure 16. This device is generally similar to the well known camera shutter having movable members 23, capable of being actuated by the movable member 2a to cause them to engage circumferentially the portion of the fabric to be contracted.

It is possible to carry out the various steps necessary to the making of a mantle according to our invention largely by suitable machinery, making the method of manufacture a rapid one. The method, may, however, be carried out manually. The mantles thus produced are more uniform in character than has heretofore been possible and have superior lighting qualities, for the reasons above stated.

WVe claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, an upright mantle formed of tubular meshed fabric with an upper end portion of gradually decreasing diameter and having the meshes of the portion of decreasing diameter corresnondingjgly contracted whereby any gathering in that portion of the fabric is avoided, and a supporting ring having a cross bar at the mostrestricted portion of the mantle, the Y fabric at the most restricted portion of the mantle being turned inwardly about the ring to reinforce the upper part of the fabric of the mantle, the bar passing through the fold of the fabric.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an up right mantle formed of tubular fabric, the end of the fabric being folded back and restricted to form a small opening at the upper end of the mantle, a metallic support having a loop extending through said opening, and an arcuate mantle supporting portion in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop and lying between the folds of the fabric, substantially as described.

3! As a new article of manufacture, an upright mantle formed of tubular fabric, the end of the tube being folded back and restricted to form a small opening at the upper end of the mantle, and a metallic support having a. loop extending through the said opening and an arcuate mantle supporting portion extending from each end of the loop in planes perpendicular to the plane of the loop and lying between the folds of the fabric, substantially as described.

f. The method of making mantles, which comprises supporting a piece of tubular fab ric on a mandrel with an end portion thereof projecting beyond the end of said mandrel and surrounding the conical end of a former, decreasing the diameter of the portion of the fabric surrounding said conical. end portion by contracting substantially uniformly the meshes of this portion of the fabric in such manner as to draw the fabric under tension across the edge of the end of the mandrel and conform the end portion of the fabric to the shape of the conical end of said former, and turning the fabric inside out by stripping it off of said mandrel onto said former,

thereby causing the portion of the fabric formed on said conical end of said former to lie inside the contracted end of the mantle to reinforce the same, said reinforced end being shaped in this turning operation on said conical end of the former.

5. The method of making mantles, which comprises decreasing the diameter of a tubular pieceof fabric at a point intermediate of its ends by a substantially uniform contraction of the meshes of the fabric, inserting a straight piece of wire through said fabric at the point. of contraction, forming the portion of said wire within the bore of said contracted portion into a loop and bending the end portions of the wire about said contracted portion, and then turning the piece of fabric inside out and thereby overlapping internally of the fabric the portions of the mantle at opposite sides of the point of contraction and enclosing the bent portions of said wire between said overlapped portions of said fabric.

6. The method of making mantles, which comprises decreasing the diameter of a tubular piece of fabric at a point intermediate of its ends by a substantially uniform contraction of the meshes of the fabric, bending a. portion of a supporting member around said fabric at the point of contraction, and then turning the piece of fabric inside out and thereby overlapping internally of the fabric the portions of the mantle at opposite sides of the point of contraction and enclosing the bent portion of said supporting member between said overlapped portions of said fabric, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

CARL E. BLISS. FRANCIS A, WEGENER. 

